The Savior’s Call to Serve

In the monthly magazine, The Ensign, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson taught us the importance of heeding the call of the Savior.  I enjoyed this message and found it of significance to share with you.

"All who have studied mathematics know what a common denominator is. For Latter-day Saints, there is a common denominator that binds us together. That common denominator is the individual call each of us receives to fill assignments in God’s kingdom here upon the earth.

Are you ever guilty of murmuring when a calling comes to you? Or do you accept with thanksgiving each opportunity to serve your brothers and sisters, knowing that our Heavenly Father will bless those whom He calls?

I would hope that we would not lose the real objective of our cherished opportunities to serve. That objective, that eternal goal, is the same spoken of by the Lord and found in the Pearl of Great Price: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

May we ever remember that the mantle of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a cloak of comfort but rather a robe of responsibility. Our duty, in addition to saving ourselves, is to guide others to the celestial kingdom of God.

By willingly walking the path of service to God, we will never be in the position of Shakespeare’s Cardinal Wolsey. Stripped of his power after a life of service to his king, he sadly lamented:

Had I but served my God with half the zeal

I served my king, He would not in mine age

Have left me naked to mine enemies.

What kind of service does heaven require? “The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.”

I pause when I think of the words of President John Taylor (1808–87): “If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved had you done your duty.”

Like a glowing searchlight of goodness is the life of Jesus as He ministered among men. “I am among you as he that serveth,” Jesus declared as He brought strength to the limbs of the cripple, sight to the eyes of the blind, hearing to the ears of the deaf, and life to the body of the dead.

With the parable of the good Samaritan, the Master taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. With His answer to the rich young ruler, He taught us to shed our selfishness. With the feeding of the 5,000, He taught us to see to the needs of others. And with the Sermon on the Mount, He taught us to seek first the kingdom of God.

In the New World, the resurrected Lord declared, “Ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do.”

We bless others as we serve in the shadow of “Jesus of Nazareth … who went about doing good.”God bless us to find joy in serving our Father in Heaven as we serve His children on earth."

To all people, the call is the same--reach out to those in need and carry out our responsibility to serve all men and women.  Service always makes you feel good.

Some Of Life's Greatest Lessons

We have always enjoyed being together as a family. The joy that we feel as a family comes from doing things together. One of our favorite things to do is work hard to accomplish a particular task or goal. We have always worked well together and we understand that each individual provides a set of specific skills that contribute to the end result.
On Saturday, we worked hard to fulfil a 'Bake Sale' that Danny had lead. His goal was to make enough money to buy a trampoline. I knew that it was possible. With Becky involved I have learned that anything is possible. We began at around 9 AM and the plan was to go until everything was sold or 2 PM. There were a lot of people who came and purchased many goods. At 2 PM, we cleaned up and headed for home, with the knowledge that 'success' was the end result. We didn't have any idea how much money was earned. In the end, the Bake Sale yielded $365. Hard work and teamwork as a family prevailed once again. We saw the kindness and generosity of many people and our lives were blessed because of it. As the kids jump on the new trampoline, I can't help but think of the lessons they have learned, that will last not only in the present but the future just as well. I am grateful for hard work and determination.

In Case You Missed It

The speed of life is an interesting phenomenon.  The older you get the swifter it passes by.  I have always found it interesting to see what emphasis people place on certain things in their life.  I don't judge somebody for something or someone that they find especially important to spend their time with.  I do find it rather interesting when people occupy their time on things that yield absolutely no return on the investment made.
I would ask you to contemplate the things and interests that occupy your time.  While you're thinking I ask this of you: Does your spouse or children find place in your particular interests?  Remember, that when life comes to a close the things that you will think the most about will be the things that deal with the family.  I can't imagine that I will ever wonder why I didn't spend more time at work.  Or was my interest of such import that I may have sacrificed quality time with those who matter the most to me.
I'm not suggesting that interests are not important, I am hoping that those do not overshadow what is of significant worth in the end.
I find myself wondering and hoping that what I spend my time doing is of benefit to those who I have personal stewardship over and that will make the most difference.
Life is the training course that will help determine who I really am.  I want to pass successfully.

The Glue That Holds It All Together

I have noticed for many years that being married to Becky is a joy beyond comprehension. I also understand what caliber of woman she is. There are no boundaries at what she is capable of doing. She is extremely creative and she is a 'go-getter'!
I am so grateful for the characteristics she possesses of goodness. She defines the word integrity. She is a solid and devout friend. Her goodness gets overlooked many times but she doesn't do good to be noticed. I love what she has to offer those who know her and those that love her.
I am grateful when I'm in her presence--she makes me a better person.
I hope that all who read this have somebody in their life who 'multiplies' you and helps you reach your potential.
Becky blesses the lives of each of our children and they will hold her in high esteem all the days of their lives and into the eternities.
Thank you for being who you are! I love spending my life with you.

Ever Been In A Funk?

Life is full of GREAT days!  I love my life but there are times when you have to fight through the trenches and battle until the clouds part and the sun comes shining through.  That's the feeling a friend of mine has had in recent times.  I think we all understand some of those times because its called life.  I have repeated over and over that the clouds of doom and gloom will pass and that when that time comes he needs to look for brighter things and be willing to put a smile on his face and move forward.  That is the key to life.  I like the analogy of falling down and standing back up on your feet, brushing the dirt off of you and then off and running again.  There is a freshness that comes from someone who chooses to look on the 'brightside' of life.  I am convinced that this particular approach will yield the greatest rewards.

If you're currently in a 'funk' keep working through it because things always get better.  We are children of a Creator who made us that way.  Everybody has rough patches but sooner or later those pass and the road gets smoothe again and things do become better.  Patience is important.  There is a time frame for everything and this situation is no different.  Life is full of beauty and wonder and the tough times help us grow and mold us into what we are to become.

Dreamers Live On

Our youngest boy, Danny, has always loved the feeling he gets while jumping on a trampoline.  I'm not sure if its the elevation you get when you jump high or if its the feeling of a good work-out, but he loves time spent jumping on the tramp.  We haven't had a trampoline now for a few years.  He has asked many times when we were going to get a trampoline.  Well, the idea came up that we ought to have a bake sale to raise some money to help buy a tramp.  Danny is very excited about it and so that is coming to pass.  On Saturday, August 18, 2012, a bake sale is being held to help with the purchase of this trampoline that Danny will love so much.  It will be held in Magna from 9 AM-2 PM, or until he sells out on 8000 West and about 2900 South.  Danny is looking forward to it and we know that he will learn a few valuable lessons from participating in this worthwhile effort.  Danny always has been a dreamer and I am so grateful for that.

Do It The Right Way

As an employee for the Boeing Company, there are many different people with different cultural backgrounds and their upbringing is even more different.  I find it interesting how different a person's work ethic is.  From the day I started as an employee for McDonnell Douglas, I knew that the quality of work I did would in some way directly impact a family member of mine as well as myself.  I knew that a quality product was the only way to go.  Well, a short time ago, a teammate, who is relatively new to the company, approached me about a particular process he had followed while building a specific aircraft detail.  My eye immediately spotted something in his process that wasn't right.  I pointed out my observation and he looked at me like there was no big deal.  I hesitated telling him anything else but couldn't do that in good conscience.  I took a moment to tell him of the importance of doing a good job, the first time.  We talked about many things throughout our conversation.  When we were through discussing the topic I walked away and was grateful for the work ethic I was blessed with.  I was grateful to my parents for instilling in me the importance of doing a good job.

Our lives are filled with opportunities to do the right thing, no matter what it is.  I was reminded, again, that doing things the right way is the best way!